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The actions of a senior Alberta Mountie who engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behaviour and sexual misconduct, as well as the punishment he received, represent a "sorry, sad and shameful set of facts," the RCMP commissioner has told Postmedia News in a series of candid emails.

Bob Paulson said the case of Donald Ray — who was docked 10 days pay, given a formal reprimand, and demoted one rank from staff sergeant to sergeant — underscores a need to revamp the force's disciplinary system, and that the force is pursuing legislative changes to make that happen.

"If I could change this case I would, I cannot," he said. "What I can do is make sure that we get a system where this sort of frustration is eliminated."

The force has come under fire since details of Ray's disciplinary case — first obtained by the Ottawa Citizen — came to light this week.

According to a three-member adjudication-board decision reached in January, Ray, a polygraph operator, engaged in a "disturbing pattern" of activity affecting a number of women over a period of years.

The activity included consuming alcohol at work and encouraging subordinates to join him; exposing his penis to an employee and asking her to touch it; having sex with a woman in a polygraph suite at "K" Division headquarters during lunch breaks and after work; having sex with a woman in a parking lot; and calling a woman a "hottie" when he learned of her age and saying that she "must have a really good sex life with her husband or she must be having an affair" while commenting about her clothing.

Board members said the gravity of Ray's misconduct was such that dismissal was at the "forefront" of their collective minds.

But the board decided against dismissal, swayed by a number of mitigating factors, including "strong" letters of support from colleagues, "sincere expressions of regret and remorse" from Ray, and his desire to admit the allegations "at the first available opportunity."

In addition to docking his pay and demoting him, the panel recommended he be transferred and get counselling.

Day, who is being relocated to British Columbia and will be working in some kind of federal policing capacity, could not be reached for comment Thursday. The lawyer who represented him at his disciplinary hearing declined to comment.

British Columbia's new top Mountie says he agreed last fall to accept the transfer of the Alberta officer with a disturbing history of sexual harassment into his "progressive" division.

Deputy Comm. Craig Callens said today that Ray, the officer once in charge of the polygraph unit at Alberta's RCMP headquarters in Edmonton, would be closely monitored and if he reoffends he will be removed from duty.

Callens also said he will soon unveil 50 new steps that the B.C. RCMP will take to ensure a safe working environment for all employees free from sexual harassment.

An internal RCMP investigation into a series of sex and drinking escapades in a Ray's office revealed a pattern of sexual harassment so disturbing that senior Ottawa Mounties say it will take "considerable effort to rebuild the damaged trust of our organization."

The investigation, which has not been made public until this week, reviewed seven reports about Ray's misconduct.

Internal Affairs investigators discovered Sgt. Ray was hosting after-hours parties in his office and kept a bar fridge stocked with Budweiser and Appleton Jamaica Rum. Sgt. Ray would encourage female subordinates to drink and make sexual advances when alone with them, the investigation found.

Sgt. Rob Vermeulen, an RCMP spokesman in B.C., said in a statement that senior managers are aware of Ray's past behaviour and "will be monitoring him closely to ensure the disciplinary measures are having the desired effect and that the offending behaviour does not recur."

Former RCMP constable Krista Carle, one of the first women to speak publicly last year about allegations of systemic harassment within the force, said she was disgusted with the outcome of Ray's case. It shows an "old boys' culture" is alive and well within the force, she said.

"To transfer him to another province is utterly shameful. He should be encouraged to retire or forcibly removed from duty."

A proposed class-action lawsuit alleging widespread systemic discrimination and harassment against female members was filed in B.C. Supreme Court earlier this year.

The RCMP Public Complaints Commission is also probing whether the force has investigated harassment allegations in a thorough and impartial manner and whether RCMP guidelines for dealing with such allegations are adequate.

Carle said she thought things were going to change under the new commissioner. Following his appointment in mid-November, Paulson said the force would seek to mete out swift discipline — including dismissal — against officers who displayed "outrageous" conduct.

At the time, Pauslon described "outrageous" conduct as including significant lying, cheating or stealing, deliberate excessive force, serious criminal conduct — "things that are obviously outrageous, that Canadians aren't interested in sort of hearing an explanation about."

"I really thought, 'Maybe they'll get the big picture,'" Carle said.

Paulson said that the wheels of Ray's disciplinary proceedings were already in motion before his appointment.

"The die was cast when the board took an agreed statement of facts and joint submissions on sanction in this case and that (process) was initiated on the 1st of November," he said.

Paulson said he does not have the authority to overrule a decision from an adjudication board.

"It would be improper and illegal, I'm told, to interfere at all in these processes because I am the last line of authority on the grievance chain. But what's worse is that I cannot appeal, overturn or substitute a sanction upwards.

"Believe me, I've tried."

Paulson said he couldn't go into detail about the legislative changes the force is pursuing. But in a previous interview, he said he would like to address the limited range of sanctions available to adjudicators.

While those legislative changes are in the works, Paulson said he has briefed commanding officers across the country on his expectations for how they should respond to allegations of misconduct.

He shared a letter he sent to commanding officers on Jan. 3 that says "swift and measured" action should be taken against officers who misbehave.

Investigations into misconduct should be guided, in part, on "public expectations, the reputation of the RCMP and the nature of the misconduct as it impacts the ability of the member to perform his or her duties," the letter states.

"In exceptional circumstances where the misconduct is outrageous in the sense that it would shock the sensibilities of a reasonable person, undermines the integrity of the RCMP, and is plainly made out, consideration must be given to suspending the member and seeking suspension without pay and allowances, and advancing the disciplinary action on a priority basis."

Robert Gordon, director of the school of criminology at Simon Fraser University, said Paulson is sending a zero-tolerance message.

"This is laudable, but he has a very difficult road ahead as he tries to move swiftly and decisively from words to action," said Gordon, who called Ray's punishment "remarkably lenient."

"The RCMP is still in a lot of trouble and suffering from a legitimation crisis in the eyes of the public."

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Mountie with history of sexual misconduct will be 'closely monitored,' RCMP says

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